Called to Take Your Next Step
Ryan Gallegos   -   February 9, 2020

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.  – Matthew 23:1-3

 

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.  – Luke 5:27-28

 

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”  At once they left their nets and followed him.  – Matthew 4:18-20

 

 

  • Jesus knows that the more we follow Him, the more we’ll become like Him

 

 

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO FOLLOW JESUS?

 

  1. You have to see Him to Follow Him

 

 

  • What is it that you do that helps you see Jesus more clearly?

 

 

 

  • If we see Jesus clearly we’ll follow Him closely… but we’ll never follow somebody that we can’t see.

 

 

 

  • When we figure out what it is that helps us see Jesus clearly, we have to be intentional about doing it.

 

 

 

  • Nobody has ever accidentally followed Jesus

 

 

  1. You have to fully surrender to Jesus

 

 

  • We’ll never surrender to someone that we don’t trust

 

 

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.  – Matthew 5:29

 

 

  • When we follow Jesus, He’s leads us towards joy

 

 

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”  – Matthew 5:30

 

 

  • When you’re following Jesus, don’t ever expect that you’ll be understood or approved of

 

 

Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”  – Matthew 5:31-32

 

  1. If you’re really going to follow Jesus, then we you have to surround yourself with people that are following Jesus.

 

 

  • Jesus called Matthew into a community

 

 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:34-35